1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation method and an operation apparatus of a portable phone, and more particularly to an operation method to change an operation mode by use of a dial key and an operation apparatus of a portable phone for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A small size portable phone has housing formed in a small size. In such a small size portable phone, a key is small and a pitch between the keys is narrow. Moreover, when multiple functions will be further achieved, it is more difficult to arrange a large number of keys which will increase in accordance to the number of functions.
As for the function with a high use frequency such as a telephone number searching operation, the operation needs to be simplified to make it easy for a user to use the function. However, the multiple functions require the user a complicated operation, even if the functions have high use frequencies. Therefore, another input unit such as a function key is often necessary in addition to dial keys.
When the user uses the telephone number searching function with the high use frequency, it is desired not to increase the number of keys. Also, it is desired that the key operation is simple.
In conjunction with the above description, a telephone is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 8-181760). In this reference, a received signal by an antenna is supplied to a modulating/demodulating section via a radio section and demodulated there. Then, a compressed speech data is separated from the demodulated signal by a TDMA processing section and decoded by a speech codec section so that a received speech signal is supplied to a speaker. A transmission speech signal is coded by the speech codec section and then subjected to a multiplexing process in the TDMA processing section. Further, after a modulating process by the modulating/demodulating section, the multiplexed signal is transmitted from the antenna via the radio section. A memory stores a telephone directory data. A telephone directory data searching key of a key input section such as an up key and a down key which are different from dialing numeral keys. At this time, an operation mode is changed from a wait mode to a telephone directory mode so that a first portion of the telephone directory data is displayed on a display section. Each time the searching key is operated, a next portion of the telephone directory data is displayed on the display section.
Also, a portable phone is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 9-261744). In this reference, a portable phone has a redialing function and a telephone directory function. A volume adjusting key is provided on a side surface of a main body. The key is used to adjust the volume when a currently received speech is outputted. The key is used as a replay volume in case of speech replay. The volume adjusting key functions as an adjusting key of a call arrival volume (call originating volume) within a predetermined time after a function key is operated. When the key is operated in the other states, an operation mode is changed to a search mode so that it is possible to search a redial data and a telephone directory data by use of the key.
Also, a portable phone is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 9-186760). In this reference, scroll keys are provided. When a telephone directory data is searched, one of katakana characters is specific and names are displayed from a specific name having the specific character as the head character. The specific character is changed by use of the scroll keys.
Also, a portable phone is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 10-190812). In this reference, a data containing a communication destination name and a telephone number is stored. All the stored data are classified into groups by dividing the stored data for every predetermined number in a storage order, or based on which line of hirakana sounds does the sound of the head character of the name belong to. An operation key is provided to be possible to operate to one of 8 directions of up and down directions, left and right directions and diagonal directions. The data in one group are searched in order through the operation of the key to the up or down direction and the group is changed through the operation of the key to the other direction.